The District Line Explained

Many Londoners often ask themselves: Why is the District Line called the District Line? London is not divided into districts, but into parishes and Boroughs. Other than the line, nothing in London is called a District.

This line of thinking is based on a misconception. The line's name stems not from district meaning "area", but from an Italian banking family called the di'Stricti. The di'Stricti came to London in 1841 and in the 1860s provided much of the funding for the early Distict line, which was promptly name in honour of them - once that name had been anglicised.